


I wanted to walk with you—

by legalityQueen



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/F, Spoilers, verdant wind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 20:48:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21951694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legalityQueen/pseuds/legalityQueen
Summary: The air of the throne room echoed with the Flame Emperors’ ragged breathing. Edelgard was brought to her knees, and stays there, clutching onto her sword as her only way to stay upright. She’s been defeated. So much death, in her own eyes and ears and even outside of her own senses—for nothing. If she had known she would lose, if she had known it had come to this, if she had known her teacher would oppose her—well, she wouldn’t have declared war on the church of Seiros. How foolish she was to think she’d surpass her own Professor. She picked Claude to side with instead, even though it was clear to Edelgard that she preferred her over him.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	I wanted to walk with you—

The air of the throne room echoed with the Flame Emperors’ ragged breathing. Edelgard was brought to her knees, and stays there, clutching onto her sword as her only way to stay upright. She’s been defeated. So much death, in her own eyes and ears and even outside of her own senses—for nothing. If she had known she would lose, if she had known it had come to this, if she had known her teacher would oppose her—well, she wouldn’t have declared war on the church of Seiros. How foolish she was to think she’d surpass her own Professor. She picked Claude to side with instead, even though it was clear to Edelgard that she preferred her over him. And the Alliance had pulled together a miraculous victory at the last moment. Perhaps she had let her guard down, had gotten too confident in her abilities. And now, not only were all her fellow classmates dead, including her closest friend and general, Hubert, but she was going to die, too. 

Byleth stood in front of her, the Sword of the Creator blazing brightly in her hands. All else was silent. Edelgard took in another breath, and opened her mouth.

“It looks as though... my path... ends here.” Her red fingers grasp at Amyr’s handle one last time. The crest stone brightens and then fades, as if acknowledging that its time has come to an end. 

“My teacher... claim your victory. Strike me down. You must!” Her voice is pleading, but broken, and it’s obvious how she wishes it hadn’t come to this. The Emperor doesn’t want to die. She’s still a child. A child all too mature, and by her own doing. “Even now... across this land, people are killing each other. If you do not act now, this conflict... will go on forever.” Against her will, tears begin to well up in her eyes. She doesn’t want to cry, doesn’t want to be weak—she _did this to herself, _and had no intentions of pleading for mercy.__

__“Your path lies across my grave. It is now time for you to find the courage to walk it.” She finds the strength to look Byleth in the eyes, and immediately regrets doing so. She can’t handle the piercing gaze. As always, she can’t tell what’s going through her teacher’s mind. Is she sad? Or happy? Does she want to do this, or is she just as scared as Edelgard is herself? She doubts she’ll ever find out. Her last moments are just here, with the two of them. Perhaps she can show some vulnerability. Just to her teacher._ _

__“If I must fall,” she starts, lowering her head down, “let it be by your hand.”_ _

__Byleth walks forward, the Sword of the Creator in her hands. She stares down at the ground. She doesn’t want this to happen, though she knows she can’t do anything else. Edelgard was her favorite student, and turning against her in war was the most difficult decision she ever made. And now, it was over. She clutches the handle of the heavy sword, holding it up above her head. She stares down at Edelgard, trying not to let her own fear show._ _

__The emperor speaks again, raising her eyes to look at her teacher one last time. “I wanted to... walk with you...” time slows, and Byleth finds herself frozen. She didn’t intentionally activate the Divine Pulse, but she welcomes the opportunity to breathe. Tears come to her eyes and she falls to her feet, her sword clanging to the ground._ _

__She can’t do this. She _can’t. _There has to be another way.___ _

____The reincarnated Goddess stands up, picking up her sword once more. Time starts just as it was before, and before Edelgard speaks another word, Byleth slams the sword downwards._ _ _ _

____A dull thud resounds. A thud, not the sound of skull. Not the sound of blood or death, no—the sound of the sword hitting Edelgard’s horns. After, the sword clangs to the ground, as does the hairpiece it struck. The girl is unharmed._ _ _ _

____She looks up, tears and confusion in her eyes. Byleth is crying too, and falls to her knees, hugging the Adrestian leader. She couldn’t do it. She couldn’t execute Edelgard._ _ _ _

____“Teacher?” her voice is soft and broken, in a way that she hasn’t spoken in a long time._ _ _ _

____Byleth moves her lips near the other girl’s ear. “I have a plan.”_ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> I’m thinking about making this into a series. This scene seriously had me crying for a good hour. Edelgard is my girl :(
> 
> Comment if you want this to become a series!


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